Christopher Martin (Mayflower Pilgrim) - On The Mayflower

On The Mayflower

Christopher Martin came on the Mayflower in 1620 with his wife Mary, stepson/servant Solomon Prower and servant John Langmore (also spelled Langerman). It is unknown why his son Nathaniel did not travel on Mayflower as it is known that he was alive in 1620. It is thought that he died prior to the voyage.

The Mayflower was a small 100 foot ship which departed Plymouth, England on September 6/16, 1620 with 102 passengers and about 30 crew members. The first month in the Atlantic, the seas were not severe, but by the second month the ship was being hit by strong north-Atlantic winter gales causing the ship to be badly shaken with water leaks from structural damage. There were two deaths, but this was just a precursor of what happened after their Cape Cod arrival, when almost half the company would die in the first winter.

On November 9/19, 1620, after about 3 months at sea, including a month of delays in England, they spotted land, which was Cape Cod. And after several days of trying to get south to their planned destination of the Colony of Virginia, strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod hook, where they anchored on November 11/21. The Mayflower Compact was signed that day.

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